Utah is sprawling with timeshare resorts. Whether for winter or summer activities staying in a timeshare is very cost effective way to make sure the whole family is comfortable with the accommodations.

DWR presents options for 2011 deer hunt

Ideas that could affect your ability to hunt deer in Utah are now available for review. Photo by Brent Stettler, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.

Ideas that could affect your ability to hunt deer in Utah are now available for review. Photo by Brent Stettler, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.

If you like to hunt deer in Utah, you need to let the Utah Wildlife Board know which hunting option you want the board to pass. The Division of Wildlife Resources will present some major changes for the 2011 hunt at public meetings in November. Those changes could affect the number of bucks you see and the ability you and your family have to hunt.

Anis Aoude, big game coordinator for the DWR, says the proposed deer hunting changes are the biggest proposed in Utah in almost 15 years. “What’s decided could change deer hunting as we know it,” Aoude says.

The DWR will present three options.

Option three is similar to the way deer hunting happens in Utah today (see www.wildlife.utah.gov/dwr/2011-deer-changes.html for details). The following are highlights from the other two options:

Raising the number of bucks compared to the number of does is the goal of both options. The current goal is to manage Utah’s general season areas so biologists find at least 15 bucks per 100 does after the hunting seasons are over in the fall. Both of the new options would raise that goal to 18 bucks per 100 does.

Raising the number of bucks per 100 does requires reducing the number of buck’s hunters take during the general season hunt. And there’s only one effective way to do that – reduce the number of hunters.

•Option one is the DWR’s preferred option. Under this option, general season hunting would continue within the five regions Utah currently has. But areas within a region that have very low buck-to-doe ratios would be managed separately from the rest of the region. Increasing the regional buck-to-doe average to at least 18 bucks per 100 does would require reducing the total number of hunters by about 7,000.

Currently, 94,000 hunters are allowed to hunt. Because 7,000 fewer permits would be offered, the permits that are available might cost more.

•Under Option two, the state would be split into 29 separate hunting areas. These areas would be called units. The units would be managed on an individual basis so at least 18 bucks per 100 does were found on each unit after the hunts were over in the fall. Reaching at least 18 bucks per 100 does on each of these smaller units – instead of an average of 18 bucks per 100 does on a larger, regional basis – would require a deeper cut in permits.

About 13,000 fewer hunters would be allowed to hunt under Option 2. And permits would probably cost more.

Two other notes about Option two:

The state’s Dedicated Hunter program would change under Option two. The program would probably become a one-year program. Before you could join the program, you’d have to draw a permit for the unit you wanted to hunt. After getting a permit and joining the program, you’d be allowed to hunt all three seasons – archery, muzzleloader and rifle – on the unit you drew a permit for.

Under Option 2, it’s likely archery hunters would be required to hunt within a single unit. Currently, archery hunters can hunt statewide.

Learn more, share your ideas. After visiting www.wildlife.utah.gov/dwr/2011-deer-changes.html, you can let members of your Regional Advisory Council know which option you prefer either of the following ways:

Five public meetings will be held starting November 9. Dates, times and locations are as follows:

Northern Region

November 9 – 6 p.m.

Brigham City Community Center

24 N. 300 W.

Brigham City

Central Region

November 10 – 6:30 p.m.

Springville City Multipurpose Room

110 S. Main St.

Springville

Southern Region

November 16 – 5 p.m.

Beaver High School

195 E. Center St.

Beaver

Southeastern Region

November 17 – 6:30 p.m.

John Wesley Powell Museum

1765 E. Main St.

Green River

Northeastern Region

November 18 – 6:30 p.m.

Western Park

302 E. 200 S.

Vernal

You can also provide your comments to your RAC via e-mail. E-mail addresses for members of the RACs are available at www.wildlife.utah.gov/public_meetings. The group each RAC member represents (sportsman, non-consumptive, etc.) is listed under each person’s e-mail address. You should direct your e-mail to the people on the RAC who represent your interest.

December 2 is the day of decision. Members of the Utah Wildlife Board will use the public input they receive directly and through the RACs to decide which of the three options to approve. Members of the board will make their decision when they meet December 2 in Salt Lake City.